Love v. State

1947 OK CR 20, 177 P.2d 846, 83 Okla. Crim. 403, 1947 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 176
CourtCourt of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma
DecidedFebruary 26, 1947
DocketNo. A-10659.
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 1947 OK CR 20 (Love v. State) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Criminal Appeals of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Love v. State, 1947 OK CR 20, 177 P.2d 846, 83 Okla. Crim. 403, 1947 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 176 (Okla. Ct. App. 1947).

Opinion

JONES, J.

This is an appeal from a conviction sustained by the defendant Jesse Love in the county court of Garfield county. -

Two propositions are presented by the appeal, to wit: First, the officers making the search did not have a legal search Avarrant, and the search made thereunder was unreasonable. Second, the evidence is insufficient to sustain a conviction.

These questions are so closely related that for the purpose of disposing of them they may be considered together.

In support of the first proposition, the record discloses that prior to the trial, counsel for defendant filed a motion to suppress the evidence on the grounds that the search warrant was invalid and insufficient, and that the seizure of the whisky in question was in violation of the constitutional rights of defendant.

A hearing Avas held on this motion to suppress evidence at which it was shown that on December 30, 1944, Ralph Tennison, a police officer of Enid, signed two affidavits for search warrants before a justice of the peace of the city of Enid. One of these affidavits sought a warrant to search room 305 in the Youngblood Hotel located at 302 North Independence street in the city of Enid, and it alleged that the property was in possession of one Jesse Love. A warrant was issued based upon this complaint, but the testimony of the officers and the endorsement on the war *405 rant shows that it was not served. Another search warrant was issued on the same date based upon the second affidavit, which described the premises to be searched as:

“Street address 302 North Independence, City of Enid, Oklahoma, being the South 3 feet of Lot Ten (10) and all of Lots 11, 12 and 13 and 16.25 feet vacated strip on the South side of Lot 13, all in block 25, Jonesville Addition to the City of Enid, Oklahoma, said premises being also described as Youngblood Hotel, including all cloak rooms, store rooms, toilet rooms, engine rooms, employees’ lounge or locker rooms, and any and all other rooms used in the operation of said Youngblood Hotel and located therein, which are not rented nor occupied by hotel patrons; that said property is in the possession of the Enid Hotel Company, a Corporation.”

The testimony of the officers was that the whisky involved in this prosecution was seized under authority of the warrant directed to the Youngblood Hotel above described, a copy of which was served on defendant, who according to the evidence of the officers, was the chief bell boy in charge of a locker room and cabinet where the whisky was found.

The testimony of the officers further showed that on the date in question, four policemen and a highway patrolman, armed with the two search warrants above described, went to the Youngblood Hotel in the city of Enid to conduct a search of the premises for intoxicating liquor.

Officer Tennison, the person in charge of the search and the officer to whom the warrant was directed, testified that upon entering the hotel he went directly to the check room, which was a room that the bell boys used to store their equipment such as ice trays and pitchers which they used in making service calls. Also in the room were some shelves where luggage was sometimes stored when it *406 was checked with the bell boys by patrons of the hotel. Also in the room was a cabinet which was locked. Shortly after the officers entered the check room, the defendant appeared. Tennison gave him a copy of the search warrant and asked defendant if he had a key to the cabinet which was in the room. The defendant stated he knew nothing about it. Whereupon the officers told defendant that if he did not produce the key, they would break the door to the cabinet. The witness further testified that when this statement was made to the defendant, he produced the key from his pocket, the cabinet was opened, and 11 quarts and eight pints of tax-paid whisky were therein found. After this whisky was found, the officer asked defendant if he had any more whisky, and defendant said “no.” The officer then informed defendant that the warrant covered any place in the hotel, and that he was going to look around, and that if he had any more whisky it would probably save the management of the hotel embarrassment if he would show them where it was. That after this conversation was held, the defendant took the officers to the third floor. That he there unlocked a door to a pipe shaft and showed them eight quarts and five pints of whisky and stated that’s all there was. On cross-examination, the officer testified that he told the defendant after the whisky was found in the cabinet in the locker room, that if he had any more whisky and if he did give it to the officers it would save the management as much embarrassment as possible. The other officers’ testimony was substantially the same as that of Officer Tennison.

The defendant did not testify, but there was called as a witness in his behalf, one Joe Sisk, a bell boy at the Youngblood Hotel, who testified that the master keys to all the rooms in the hotel and other keys are kept on a ring hanging on a nail at the west end of the clerk’s desk for *407 the use of the employees. On cross-examination in response to the question, “Is there a key on there that opens the little cabinet in the cloak room?” he stated, “No, sir, I have that key in my pocket.” Question, “Do you know where that key was on the night of December 30, 1944?” Answer, “On this ring, so far as I know.”

The ring referred to by the witness was a ring allegedly brought by the witness from the hotel, on which there were several keys. It was further brought out on cross-examination of the witness Sisk that the key to the door leading to the pipe shaft where the liquor was stored on the third floor was not kept on the key ring at the desk.

The defendant did not testify either on the motion to suppress evidence or at the trial. There was no contention made by him that he was the owner of the premises which were searched by the officers.

In Plumlee v. State, 78 Okla. Cr. 201,146 P. 2d 139, it is held:

“Constitutional provision guaranteeing one immunity from unlawful search and seizure is personal, and one accused will not be heard to object thát the search of the property or premises of some third person is a violation of his constitutional rights.”

The case of Freeman v. State, 72 Okla. Cr. 137, 113 P. 2d 843, 844, is very similar to the one in controversy. In the body of the opinion it is stated:

*409 2d 394; Rogers v. State, 72 Okla. Cr. 123, 113 P. 2d 606; Chanosky v. State, 52 Okla. 476, 153 P. 131; Hall v. State, 39 Okla. Cr. 254, 264 P. 221, 222.
*407 “The proof showed that three state officers went to a justice of the peace at Lawton and procured two search warrants, one of the search warrants describing the home and premises of the defendant, Joe Freeman, and the other describing the house and two lots adjoining the home of the defendant, Joe Freeman. The owner of these premises was given as John Doe. * * *

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Bluebook (online)
1947 OK CR 20, 177 P.2d 846, 83 Okla. Crim. 403, 1947 Okla. Crim. App. LEXIS 176, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/love-v-state-oklacrimapp-1947.